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Saturday, February 19, 2011

New York Times bestselling author Deborah Bedford sweeps readers into this compelling drama with her trademark style of beautiful, lyrical writing. Since her divorce from Eric, Hilary has done everything she can to control life for herself and her son. Beneath a calm surface, she is terrified of failing Seth. She's worked hard to raise him on her own, and she's succeeded--he's now set to graduate from high school and enroll at the University of Illinois with a full scholarship.

But Hilary's worst fears are realized when there is a rock-climbing accident at a post-graduation campout. A young girl is hurt, and Seth is arrested. Pamela, Eric's new wife and Seth's stepmother, blames Hilary for letting him go to the campout in the first place. With Seth's college scholarship now just a distant memory and his entire future at stake, the two women must come together for Seth's sake.

Is Hilary's love strong enough to save her son and release him to her ex-husband's other wife?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deborah Bedford is a career fiction writer who began her professional life as a journalist in a Colorado mountain town. Deborah and her husband, Jack, have two children and live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. You can read more about Deborah on her website Biography section HERE! Check it out!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Welcome, and thank you for agreeing to an interview for BOOKIN‘ WITH BINGO. Is there any personal information you would like to start out with today?

Karen, thanks so much for the interview and the fun. It’s great getting to know you and your readers. On a personal note, I live in Jackson Hole WY. My two children, a son and a daughter, are three years apart but my son took time out of school to try his hand at being a hip-hop artist. Now, they are both in their senior semesters of college. They have both accomplished so much. We’re all celebrating!

Where did you get the inspiration or idea for this book?

From a sermon my pastor gave on the story of Hannah, a woman who learned to trust God and live an amazing life even though she was constantly being provoked by her husband’s other wife. I started thinking that the Biblical story could be translated into a present-day novel. When I thought of a modern family that would mirror Hannah’s life, the circumstances she would be in, the characters showed up and started talking. I loved that the story became immediate, and that it dealt with some issues that aren’t usually dealt with in Christian fiction. That’s where it all began.

Do you see yourself in your characters? Which characters are easiest or more difficult to write?

I always see myself in my characters. I believe in turning over every stone emotionally, and I always start with myself and my questions I have about God. It’s like a scavenger hunt. Eric was the most difficult to write because he was Hilary’s former husband, he’d divorced her because he’d fallen for someone else, and it took a deft hand to look into his motivation, to understand his heart in a way that made me care about him. I was mad at Eric for a while, until I figured him out.

What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out? What are you currently reading?

Without a doubt, Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love. Reading that book made me ache to write Christian fiction. It made me understand how a complete novel could become a parable, a complete picture of God’s love for us.

What is the next or current book/project you are working on?

Ah, another novel, tough to talk about right now because I’m in the last few months before finishing. I CAN tell you that the book has a very romantic husband for a character. After Eric, I was in the mood for a man who put his wife at the top of his priority list!

What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?

After doing two novels with Joyce Meyer and hearing her stories about her travels to help the poorest of the poor, it has been impossible not to get involved in her ministry for compassion and justice around the world. I’m in nursing school so I can travel with her Hand of Hope medical ministry. Just got back from a trip to Papua New Guinea in August and can’t wait for more. Do you own an eReader of any kind and how do you feel about their impact on books, as well as you as an author?

Nope. No E-reader. I’m on the computer writing so much of the day that the last thing I want to do when I relax is to look at another screen. I collect old books, including my Grandmother’s first edition of Christy. I’ve thought it would be a ‘green’ thing to do, devour books on an e-reader then buy the ones I want to keep for my bookshelf. But, I confess, the combination of backlight and screen is tough on my eyes after writing all day long.

What is your advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

Read everything you can get your hands on. And, after that, read more. Also, keep a journal. Not something that weighs you down as a responsibility, but something where you can capture your thoughts, describing things you see, fleeting ideas. It helps you layer your voice as a writer; it also does away with that moment when you’re staring at a blank piece of paper. You can always look through your own words and find a place to start.

Thank you so much, Deborah. This has been a lovely and interesting interview and I appreciate your taking time to do it so I can share it with my readers. I hope it any of them haven't read your books before, this might help change their minds!

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

Deborah Bedford’s latest novel will be released on February 22 and I believe you will be finding HIS OTHER WIFE on several best seller lists shortly thereafter. Bedford gives readers a story that will draw them in with her inclusion of convincing characters, each who is facing their own private battles.

Hilary is a dedicated wife and mother who never sees it coming when her husband suddenly tells her he is in love with someone else! The main theme of the story thus centers on how Hilary deals with the repercussions of the divorce on herself and her son, Seth. All Hilary once knew, has suddenly changed but foremost on her mind now is a healthy survival for her son who is about to graduate high school. Seth has even been accepted to college on a full scholarship. She is left to do right by Seth, but unknowingly often relies on him too much now that Eric is gone. The stress on Seth is too much and it builds to a point following graduation when he makes a fatal decision using very poor judgment.

Eric has been basically out of their lives now with his new wife, but it really hasn’t been Hilary’s concern until she realizes it has to come into play now that Seth needs them. The situation is going to take them all, both families, pulling together to help save him.

What Hilary comes to realize is that her steadfast belief and devotion must remain strong as she calls upon it to face the crisis with Seth. It is important that Eric and his new family be involved and Hilary calls on her faith to look ahead and past all the hurt as she involves Eric and his wife to help her son recover from the mistake he has made. Having them all work together is vital. Can Hilary look past her own personal pain for Seth’s sake? Can she really be strong enough to have them all be a part of finding an answer to all their questions and to what Seth is facing? Is Hilary’s faith strong enough to endure and succeed? HIS OTHER WIFE is a book I enjoyed and found that it left me with much to think about personally as well as having given me a good story to read.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO SARAH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I

HAVE THREE COPIES OF THIS BOOK

TO GIVE AWAY TO THREE WINNERS!

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRYHOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY:COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT HIS OTHER WIFE ABOVETHAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY:BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 (OR +2) MORE ENTRIES:GO TO DEBORAH BEDFORD'S WEBSITE HERE AND CHECK OUT ALL HER WONDERFUL "STUFF". SEE IF YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING ON HER HOME PAGE THERE THAT I FOUND VERY FAMILIAR AND HOPE YOU DID AS WELL. IF YOU COMMENT ON THAT, YOU MAY TAKE AN EXTRA ENTRY AS WELL AS COMMENTING ON SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT HER WEBSITE!

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comments:

It does seem like an interesting story. Because Seth is graduating high school, he must be 18 or pretty darn close. I wonder if that will be an issue that is addressed as well...she may only be able to protect him so much.JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

I found it fascinating and very interesting that the story of Hannah gave her fertile soil to start this story. I am sure many can relate to this story as it has played out in many families. Thanks for hosting this contest.

J Holden is correct, the home page doesn't load. I found her main website and the home page doesn't work there either. But, I did got to the photos and may have found what you found familiar-Miss Annie, her family's dauchsund! I love the pillow behind it too!

I have a feeling that this is a really emotional book. I want to see how the two women finally comes together. From the description, I already hate Pamela, so I just want to see how Hilary even accomplishes that act.

I actually kept thinking of a family situation that is really similar to this story that we are currently going through with my step-daughter...and it makes me want to read this and see how it works out. I also want to see it from the mom's point of view rather then the step-mom's {which in our case is my point of view}. There might be something I can learn from this. Thanks for the chance.

I'm intrigued by Hilary's story and how she manages to cope with Eric's new wife, Seth's step-mother who blames Hilary for everything that happens to Seth. I became really interested in this aspect of the story after reading in your interview with Deborah Bedford that she got the idea from a sermon by her pastor about a woman, Hannah, who lives a great life despite beiing tormented by her former husband's second wife. You have to be a strong, blessed woman to put up with such harassment! I'm interested in how Hilary copes and what's the outcome of her story.

The last photo in Deborah's list of photos is an adorab;e dachsund, Miss Annie, whom, Deborah's written is "the most spoiled member of the Bedford clan"! Miss Annie reminded me of another adorable dog, Prof. Bingo!

I enjoyed Deborah's other pictures of her family and their fun times together and of Deborah's photos of her time in Boca Yuma.

This is an interesting subject that anyone & everyone who has gone through a divorce & has had to share their children with the other wife can understand the issues of parenting & trying to come to a safe middle ground where all parties can work together for the sake of their children. I know it's hard to put the personal issues one goes through with an ex out of the way & even try to be, more than civil, with the new spouse, so perhaps this book will add some new insight on how families can work out these issues without the constant quarelling that seems to be the standard of our times. I'm looking forward to seeing how this book solves or faces these important issues.

I've seen this book on a few different websites and thought it sounded interesting. I can only imagine what it would be like to have another woman step into your place as the wife of your now ex-husband and mother (even step) to your son. And for that new woman to blame you when something horrific happens involving YOUR son...I can't imagine how angry and hurt I would feel. Really looking forward to reading this one!Thanks,candc320@gmail.com

I want to win "His Other Wife" because I would love to see how the author takes from the story of Hannah. The family dynamic sounds interesting...how will the two "wives" get along? Will they pull together for Seth? I would love to find out how this story unfolds.

Also, while I was looking at Deborah Bedford's site I saw her and Joyce Meyer's book, "Any Minute". This book looks really interesting. After the main character is revived from "death" I wonder how she will live her life differently.

As a divorced mother, who has taken a long time to forgive her ex husband, an even longer time to forgive his now wife & a son who who paid the price for his parent's & step parent's mistakes, I think this book could be very clarifying & somewhat cathartic especially since my own healing has been based on a spiritual program. It sounds like it could only enhance the courage & strengths it takes to come together for your child, your self & the betterment of our world....Thanks for your review...Cheesecake

I like reading books with strong female characters. I don't like wimoy, wishy-washy women who can't take care of themselves. I would like to read this book to learn more of what her life is like after her son's graduation.

Thanks to all!

Sadly, we will be saying good bye to Bookin' With Bingo early next month. Things just have been too hectic so we have chosen to close down with hopes for a new "BWB" someday. Thanks to all and KEEP READING!